{Rin}

Xhez put the bag down, as Rin put her fists up. The skeleton said something, its words coming out slurred and unintelligible as she prepared herself for this fight. [Last one,] she thought. [If I'm understanding what Jessen told us before, we win here, the skeletons are all gone, and we can just walk out.]

Rin positioned herself just a little bit in front of Xhez. Knowing that Xhez was even slower and physically weaker than she was, she wanted to keep the skeleton's eyes on herself as much as possible.

The enemy raised its mace and charged toward her.

And, in Rin's eyes, it had disappeared.

It reappeared in front of her, its mace coming from the left to smash her ribcage. Rin dodged to the right off of instinct and felt shivers go up her spine.

[It's so fast!]

The skeleton swung its mace twice, in quick succession, and, narrowly, Rin managed to dodge both times before going for a kick. With its shield, the skeleton blocked the attack but was pushed away. A few meters apart from each other, the skeleton paused as Rin kept her hands in front of her, taking steady breaths.

[Remember Maria's lessons, remember what you've learned about these things. Don't panic. Keep that quickness of theirs in mind too. That barrier that stopped Xhez's spells back on the surface, I think it's based on this thing's line of sight. It's weak to fire, so one hit should open it up for me to finish it off!]

She knew, however, that this was easier said than done. Still, she had to try. So, as the skeleton took two slow steps toward her, Rin focused up, trying to get ready for the next exchange.

And then, Xhez shot out a ball of fire that struck the skeleton's back.

It screamed, and Rin's eyes widened as she saw it turn toward her, furious.

[Can't let it go to her!]

With this skeleton being much faster than the other powerful one they'd faced on the surface, Rin knew she had to stop it from engaging the sprite otherwise she was surely dead. So, she ran forward, catching the skeleton by sweeping its legs, just as it was about to charge toward Xhez.

It reacted to her movement, hopping over her leg and swiping at her with its mace as soon as it caught Rin entering its space. Due to her momentum, she couldn't dodge out of this, so she braced herself and raised her left arm up, and her left shoulder took the hit fully.

She felt something crack in her body and she was launched back, crying out as she slid to a halt on the dusty, cold floor. The pain from the attack she'd just suffered stung so badly she teared up, however, the job was done, and the skeleton was focusing on her again. Its body was still covered in the fire from Xhez's spell, but it seemed to ignore it.

[Crap, crap, crap, crap,] Rin thought as she stood up.

"Ahh…" She hissed. Her left shoulder hurt badly.

She tried to get back into her usual position, but she couldn't move her left arm without it feeling like she was tearing it apart. So, she only kept her right fist up as the skeleton charged toward her again.

It swung wildly and all Rin could do to avoid it was walk back, trying her hardest to keep her body out of the mace's short range. Every hit the enemy went for was just barely off the mark until another [Fireball] from Xhez caught its back again.

Its body was wrapped in fire. It screeched, snapping toward the sprite, and Rin, knowing what it would do, quickly ran up and kicked it forward, sending it to the ground. The white flame from her feet left a burning mark on its armor, and its eyes went back to Rin. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain in her left arm.

[So, like all the other ones, it just goes after whoever last attacked it,] Rin said, internalizing that knowledge. [As long as I can tag it before it runs after Xhez, I can keep her out of harm's way and she can keep launching out spells at this thing.]

It was a decent enough strategy, she figured. This skeleton was powerful, but it wasn't too fast for her to register its movements.

She wondered what rank this creature was, expecting that it was Rank C or maybe even Rank B. It had to be. There was no way she would be having this much trouble against it otherwise, surely.

However, she had something else to consider.

[My shoulder… Not being able to use one arm feels pretty damn bad. Maybe… I could run over to Xhez and hope she heals it, but it isn't like the skeleton is just gonna watch that happen.]

On that note, the skeleton stepped toward her, so quickly that Rin flinched. It raised its mace and tried to bring it down on her head, but Rin moved out of the way at the last second and went for a right punch onto its head. The skeleton dodged and spun in place. Its weapon barely missed Rin's waist.

She went for a right straight punch at its jaw, and the skeleton leaned back, before spinning again, but this time going for an overhand swing. Rin ducked, and before she could attack it, Xhez landed another [Fireball].

Just as before, the skeleton turned toward her, but Rin saw an opening and went for it. She moved as quickly as she could without pouring Essence into herself and punched the back of the skeleton's head.

Her blow made the white flame from her fist spread all over its skull, and the skeleton let out an ear-rending shriek. Rin kicked it away though, which shut the monster up as its red eyes went back to her.

Stolen story; please report.

[Its head might be a weak spot,] Rin continued to analyze it. [Or, the fire on my hands and feet is just that strong. Either way, go after it. Maybe one or two more hits and we can finish this!]

She was feeling a little confident. Between Xhez's well-timed spells and her own ability to, at least, avoid damage and sneak in a few hits when the skeleton had its back turned, it seemed like they stood a chance.

And then, the orb that had been hanging above them sent out a beam that landed on the skeleton. Rose-colored energy swarmed its body and Rin narrowed her eyes as the skeleton stood up a little bit straighter, dropping its shield on the ground.

[What?]

"Rin," Xhez called out, and the adventurer saw that she was putting a hand to her forehead. "Its, its Spirit is increasing!"

The skeleton proceeded to raise its bony left hand, and, with blinding speed, it drew a spellsign in the air. Rin's eyes widened and she moved to the right as the skeleton aimed its hand at her, and what looked like black smoke shot out at her.

She managed to dodge it by running away, and the skeleton sprinted forward.

"H-Huh!?" She asked aloud as the skeleton's speed shocked her, and the monster reached her, just as another projectile from Xhez landed on its back.

However, instead of screaming, the skeleton snapped back, dodged the projectile, and quickly drew another spellsign in the air, launching out a black sphere in Xhez's direction. The sprite moved out of the way, falling over as Rin charged toward it, looking to hit it in much the same way she had before.

Only, it was looking back at her before Rin even reached it. Its red eyes almost dared her to attack, and Rin stopped herself just in time to move away from a powerful swing of its mace, aimed at her head.

It kept going though, swinging two, three more times, wildly at Rin as the adventurer moved away from it. It took every bit of focus and concentration she had not to get hit. Counterattacking wasn't an option. It was simply moving too quickly with that violet Essence swirling around its limbs.

But try as she might though, Rin couldn't avoid its attacks forever.

She moved to the right at one point, but the creature attacked so quickly that she wasn't able to move the other way, and its mace caught her in the waist.

"Agh!"

Rin fell to the ground as Xhez cried out her name. That same pain in her shoulder was now spreading throughout her right side as Xhez launched out a [Fireball] at the creature's head, and it landed.

However, Rin watched it turn around, and from the ground, she saw how it was about to go chase Xhez and surely end her.

[No, I can't let it get to her,] Rin told herself, and, with a great effort, she kicked the skeleton's legs out from under it. The creature fell to the ground. [I can't stand up,] Rin thought, and she tried to kick it again from here, going for its head. Her blow hit, and the skeleton screeched again, flailing as it tried to put the white flame out.

Rin adjusted, crawled over to it, and, with her right fist, started hitting its skull, repeatedly.

One time after another, as Xhez jogged up to her, Rin punched it over, and over, and over again, until eventually, the rose-colored energy inside of it dispersed, and the skeleton stopped moving.

Rin collapsed on her side, taking deep, strained, breaths as Xhez crouched next to her. She saw Xhez draw the [Heal] spellsign and put her hands over Rin's body as she looked down at her with worry.

Rin, however, couldn't be more ecstatic. Even as the pain, now being somewhat soothed by Xhez, continued to burn, she smiled.

"We did it," she said breathlessly, grinning up at Xhez. "We actually did it."

---

{Sometime later}

As the two of them walked back to the surface, they were no longer attacked by any of the dead bodies in the underground town. They walked all the way back to the elevator, mostly in silence, and Rin pressed the button on the elevator that pulled them up to the surface. Although now Rin had that bag from earlier in her hands, since she'd deactivated her Spirit Flame, Xhez was walking alongside her. Her body had been healed, but she still had bloodstains on her from when she'd been hit.

She didn't mind that though. She was still experiencing a high from having won against that thing.

"I wish I could have done a little more," Xhez muttered next to her. "Watching you fight was stressful."

"No, you did fine," Rin shook her head. "We kinda, sorta, had a strategy and we executed it. That's all we could have hoped for."

"… I see."

When they emerged back out onto the surface, Rin's jaw hit the ground. The fog had cleared. She saw rose-colored Essence leaving the bodies of every skeleton in the area. And now, she could get a better view of where exactly they were.

To put it simply, it was like they were standing on a giant black square, which stretched out almost endlessly.

[An underground town or something,] Rin chuckled to herself. [This is so crazy.]

With Xhez feeling out Jessen's location, they returned to where the spirit had been. He was still there, and his eyeless face moved up to meet them when he felt them approaching.

"The spirits of my brethren have been released. The curse is lifted. You've done it."

Rin couldn't fight off the proud smile that came over her face then. She shrugged, walking up to it and put her hands on her hips as Xhez spoke up:

"Why are you still here, then?" She asked.

"I wished to see you again before I passed. Congratulate you and give you my thanks."

"How long have you been waiting here?" Rin asked, curious.

"Ages. Do not feel too sorry for me, or my comrades though. We deserved our fate, and, regardless, after spending so long in stagnation, time stopped meaning as much eventually."

Rin nodded, and she thought she saw a smile come over Jessen as Xhez spoke up:

"Who… Who was that monster?" Xhez asked. "It had such a dark presence."

"… Our ruler," Jessen replied. "Sentinel Leon, guardian of these woods. When everything fell into chaos, the Sentinel kept himself hidden and tried his hardest to avoid the fighting, instead of stopping it. As everyone died just outside of his chambers, the hatred in their souls made its way into his own, and the curse began when he too perished with time."

"I… How does that work?" Rin asked. "So, no mage or whatever did this? It just… sort of happened?"

"Essence is like that," Jessen said. "It is not a living force per se, but it can manipulate the lives and souls of everything that exists in this world, twisting them or aiding them. It would be wise of you to learn that we cannot complain about it, we can only adapt to its whims."

As Rin nodded, there was a brief silence.

"… I believe it is time for me to depart," Jessen stated. "Once again, you have my thanks, travelers. I wish I had some other gift to give you, but unfortunately, I do not. I wish you both very good, long lives."

With that last statement, the spirit faded. Rin and Xhez were now alone, surrounded by spiritless skeletons, standing on a hollow black floor.

"…" Rin turned toward Xhez, and she smiled.

"Yes?" Xhez asked.

Then, without a word, grinning, Rin gave Xhez a tight embrace.

"O-Oh, Rin?"

All Rin could do was laugh as she continued hugging Xhez. She was just too happy they'd succeeded.

"Thanks, by the way," Rin finally said as she pulled away. "Couldn't have done any of this without you. I, uh, probably would have been eaten alive by some random monster by now, if I hadn't met you."

"… I wish I could do more, but, I will accept your gratitude," Xhez said, returning Rin's smile.

"Well, come on," Rin said. "Get in the bag and let's get out of here."

With that, the two of them departed, heading for the woods and using the map Rin still had in her pockets for guidance. However, Rin had learned something from this narrow victory, and that was that, regardless of how strong those skeletons actually were, she still had a long way to go before she was a true adventurer.